Dating an Immortal
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Oh sure, boyfriends are wierd. They all have their quirks, they all have their problems. Mine, you ask?Well, He's dead. He died ten times, to be exact. Oh, and did I forget to mention that he keeps coming BACK? NarutoxHanabi. Fluff, romance, crack.
1. You're a WHAT?

The sun was beginning to rise. The first few rays glimmered over the green hills, making them glow radiantly. Finally, sunlight shone over the colorful meadow, causing flowers to bloom instantly. Wonderful splashes of white, and red, and purple, and yellow, and pink, and blue, and orange all opened up on the field; a magnificent sight to anyone who was watching. However, in such a large meadow, only thirteen flowers grew: the chrysanthemum, the tulip, the marigold, the bellflower, the lily of the valley, the camellia, the iris, the bird of paradise, the buttercup, the daffodil, the yarrow, the thistle, and the summer snowflake. Each represented a different aspect respectively, and each symbolized a different meaning entirely. It was only fitting for this place, after all.

Right in the center of the field, a girl slept. Two books lay on each side of her, both tied to a long blackstrap that looped around her entire waist, containing a series of scrolls. Her long black hair stretched to where the sash was first tied, and her only accessory in it was a small hairpin, almost in the shape of a flower. Her long robes served as an excellent way to keep warm, and seemed fitting for one such as her. She napped peacefully, her breathing coming in slow, steady breaths. She moaned softly, and nestled into a more comfortable position in her grassy bed. But then, she began to twitch, and her breathing became quick and shallow. She murmured quietly, and the air around her seemed to spark. And then, without warning, her eyes snapped open to reveal large lavender orbs, and she sat up with a cry.

She'd fallen asleep studying again. Ino and Sakura must've left her here when they realized she was asleep. Sighing, the girl reached up to her forehead, and put the glasses back on. Immediately, everything comes into focus. She was only a Chunin. She couldn't be falling asleep in places like this. What would her father think of her?

"Having a nightmare?"

"Eep!" She gave a small squeak of surprise at the voice, then hastily skittered back at sound of a branch snapping, followed by another, and still another. Her concern was well warranted. Moments later, a man dropped out of the tree in whose shadow she had been resting. Perhaps _drop_ wasn't the best of terms. Rather, the man unceremoniously fell _face first_ into the field of flowers.

_Then _he looked up.

_ECCHI!_

"Oh my," With a sweep of his leg, he straightened himself up again, as if he had never fallen. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to startle you, miss."

She curled one hand into a fist.

_Oh, I'm gonna startle you real good, buddy! C'mere!_

Then he stepped into view.

His countenance, tall and dignified, remained so until he stepped into the light, throwing his features into relief. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the whisker marks across his face and the striking blue eyes that told her _he_ knew all about _her_, even though she knew him not. He wore black slacks, a black shirt, and a white robe, emblazoned with an orange swirl at the back.

But she wasn't focused on that.

_My flowers!_

Irritation flashed through her eyes.

"W-Who the hell are you?!"

"Uzumaki-sama!"

"Hmm?" The man lazily tilted his head to the side, just as a group of men appeared. Judging by their masks and gear, they were recognize able right away. Anbu. And from the look of their numbers, they appeared to be escorting this man. "Why the long face? Is something wrong, Yamato?"

"Naruto," The man was obviously flustered by the blonde's attitude, but to his credit, his voice did little to show it. "We don't have anymore time for sight seeing. We need to set out _now _if we're to Konoha by tomorrow morning."

_Yeah! You heard him. Get out of here, jerkface._

"Oh." The blond smiled, but his eyes had yet to leave the pale eyed beauty to whom he'd been speaking to. "But perhaps a moment more? I wanted to finish speaking with this lovely lady first."

_Oh no. No no no! Get outta here, ya perv! I'm underage!_

"Naruto," The man's tone made it clear that he would not tolerate another delay. She breathed a sigh of relief when the anbu nodded towards her, a clear sign that he'd deliberately looked out for her well being just now.

"You're no fun." The blond known as Naruto sulked for a moment longer, crossing his arms defiantly, much to everyone's dismay, as this was not how an adult normally behaved. "I just wanted to have a human conversation for once. Is that so much to ask?"

"Considering the circumstances, yes." The anbu known as Yamato answered.

_There. _She smirked. _Now get your bum ass outta here-_

As if reading her thoughts, he patted her on the shoulder and walked past with a small smile. He didn't pay any attention to the way that the steam flew out of her ears, or how her eyes narrowed.

"Have a good morning." He called to everyone else, waving as his languid pace carried him down the road and out of sight.

_"He's kinda hot,"_ Someone stated bluntly from beside her, and she seethed at the thought. Someone like him? Handsome? Bullshit!

"Well, of course!" Another voice insisted. "He's Tsunade-sama's successor! He has to be at least a _little_ handsome!"

_Successor?_

"Still, isn't he a little _young_ to be our village leader?"

"Nonsense!" The woman argued. "He'll make a fine Hokage, just you wait and see!"

The girl blinks.

"Hokage?"

_Him?_

-

_"Good morning."_

His words echo in her mind now, as she glances around, spotting him in a far corner, neither joining in the conversations, nor offering his own friendship. _Just an observer_, she thinks to herself. Watching the world around him go by, like a traveller who's already seen what is laid out before him, and merely tries to amuse himself.

Strange, considering that he was the guest of honor at this celebration.

He takes that moment to catch her eyes, and she does not look away, but rather boldly approaches. If he's the village leader, then she needs to show him the appropriate respect to which he is due. Even if she really, really didn't want to.

"Hello Hokage-sama," she introduces, bowing low so she won't have to look him in the eye, so he won't recognize her, so she won't make a damned fool of herself. "My name is Hanabi Hyuuga, of the Hyuuga clan. It's....

_Just choke it down...Just choke it down..._

She put on the best fake smile she could, the one she always used when she was lying to father. If he even _considered_ marrying _her_ to _him_...

...a pleasure to meet you."

He gazes at her for a long moment, as something flickers in his eyes. _Amusement? _She thinks. She does not understand what he could possibly find entertaining about her greeting. He was the Rokudaime Hokage, instated only three days ago, in place of Tsunade-sama. Rumor had it that he was an anbu once, but that was all anyone knew of him. That, and he'd been on a ten year mission until just yesterday.

That, and Hanabi absolutely hated his guts.

_There. You said 'hi' now just walk away....quickly. Before he-_

Naruto blinked a few times.

"Say...have we....met?"

Hanabi stiffened.

_Crap!_

"Because, I could've _sworn_ that I've spoken to you before."

"I-In the field." She stammered, her composure breaking under his gaze. "What's it to you?"

The mask of bewilderment melted away, replaced by a pleasant smile.

"Ah. My apologies. I did not recognize you without the glasses." Taking her hand in his own, he delicately kissed it."It's a pleasure to meet you then, Hanabi Hyuuga. I trust we'll be seeing a great deal of each other?"

Hanabi struggled to control the blush that rose to her cheeks. Oh, this guy was good. Really good. But she was better. If he wanted to play word games, then she'd gladly teach him a lesson.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, buddy." She growled quietly, so only he could hear. "You may be Hokage, you may be my superior, but I swear, if you ever, EVER mess with me like you did yesterday, I'm gonna-

"Is that so?" The smirk came and fled so quickly, a lesser being might have missed it, but Hanabi Hyuuga was NO lesser being, and her eyes narrowed to furious lavender slits at what he said next. "You seem rather used to taking orders, Ms. Hyuuga. I might even go so far as to say it suits you to a T."

That was the _worst_possible thing you could say to Hanabi Hyuuga. She took orders from no one! Not father, and certainly not this guy!

"Bite me!" She spit in his face, this time, making no effort to conceal her words. "You piece of shit!"

_"I would."_Naruto retorted viciously, his breath hot in her face. "But you'd like that now, wouldn't you?"

Hanabi, for all her gusto, for all her bravado in the shinobi world, and all her expertise in the field of trash talk, turned beet red at this statement. , Whoa, WOW. She hadn't been expecting a response like that. Not even from the Hokage. As such, she was currently struck speechless.

"W-Why you....teme!"

"Hokage-sama? Is something wrong?"

Naruto, to his credit, passed it off as nothing, swiftly clamping a hand over her mouth before turning back to the bewildered onlookers. "Ah, its nothing! Just a heated debate about politics! I suppose my words were a little too strong just now, neh?"

The partygoers nodded in understanding. Of course. Youth these days, always spouting off at the mouth. It was certainly a good thing that their wonderful Hokage-sama knew how to keep them in line.

As the last passerby turned their gaze away, Naruto, noting she was out of breath, released Hanabi. Immediately, she swung at him, only for the blond to catch her fist in a palm. Without a word, he'd already twisted an arm behind her back and led her inside the mansion.

"You certainly have quite the temper." He noted, as he forced her up the stairs and into his office.

"Piss off." Even though they were in his office, Hanabi's retorts had already reclaimed their usual venom. "What's your deal anyways? You get off on tormenting me or something?"

"Not quite. I wanted to discuss a private matter with you."

"Oh yeah," Hanabi rolled her eyes. "A _private matter_. You're a real sick bastard, you know that?"

"How crude. I wasn't referring to that."

"Soulless creep!"

Naruto's face immediately crumpled in surprise, and he released her. Hanabi hadn't been expecting that reaction either. She'd braced herself, prepared herself for another foul retort, but when none came, and she was instead faced with this odd expression, she could only stand there.

Fuming, she stood in place, unsure of what to do.

"You know...it's been quite some time since I've found someone who had as sharp a tongue as you." Naruto mumbled this to himself, sitting down at the desk so he could look the fiery Hyuuga in the eye. "Quite some time indeed. I haven't seen a Hyuuga like you since I met your great-grandmother. You look just like her, actually."

"Eh?" He certainly was good at distracting her. So now he was resorting to outright lies in order to divert her anger? "Wait. _You_ met _my_great grandmother? What in kami's name is _that_ supposed to mean?" She peered at him closer, suddenly wary of this new hokage.

Not that she hadn't been to begin with.

"What do you think?" Naruto smiled and foled his hands together. He was waiting for her to arrive at her own conclusions. It was as if he could see the furious thoughts racing around in her skull, even now. Fine. If he wanted to play games...then she'd play along.

"You're using a henge."

"You flatter me, but that's not it."

"Genjutsu?"

"Nope."

"A clone?"

His smile widened.

"That's genjutsu again, Hanabi-san. The answer's quite simple, really. Keep guessing."

"Just tell me, ya jerkoff!"

Naruto grinned.

"In ten words or less?"

"TELL ME!"

Naruto smiled innocently.

"I'm immortal."

**Reviews make me happy, reviews make me update even faster. So won't you please give me them? **

**~Nz**


	2. Any Questions?

_While I thought I was learning how to live,_

_I have been learning how to die._

_-Leonardo Da Vinci_

--

_"WHAT?!"_

Indeed, Hanabi's reaction was timeless, as was it priceless. Naruto tilted his head to the side and sighed as the Hyuuga heiress continued to suffer her mental breakdown. After awhile, the same reaction grew oh so boring. But this one, was fresh and amusing. He was content to watch.

For now.

_'I wonder how long it'll take her to understand it all? At least a decade, at best.'_

"I'm immortal." Naruto repeated, the smile never once leaving his face. "As in, _not _mortal. Are we straight on this, Hanabi-san?"

"Liar!" Hanabi jabbed a finger accusingly. "You're lying!"

"Really," Naruto asked, head tilting to the side like a confused puppy. "How could I possibly lie to you with a straight face like this?"

"That's _not_a straight face, damnit! You're grinning from ear to ear!"

"You'd be grinning too if you could do what I can." Naruto replied mysteriously, appearing behind her to tap her left shoulder. Hanabi shrieked in surprise, whirled to kick him, but the kage was already back in his desk, legs crossed over the table, smiling as if he'd never left his post.

Only then did her hair, in a braid amoment ago, now billow out upon her back. Startled, Hanabi clutched at it, only to realized that the string holding her tresses up, was no longer in place. But where could it have-

"Looking for something?"

"How did you...

"Like I said, I'm immortal." Naruto repeated, revealing his right hand, and sure enough, the violet ribbon was dangling from inside his fist. "Let's just say....I have special privileges. Stealing a hair tie from a Hyuuga heiress is child's play for someone like me."

"No way! No way is this possible! No way no way no way, no way...

Naruto held up a hand for silence, and surprisingly, received it.

"Alright, alright, now that you've freaked out on me, lets review, shall we? I. am. immortal." Naruto repeated slowly this slowly, tapping a piece of chalk to a chalkboard that hadn't been there a moment ago, and had the words neatly scrawled across its surface. "Now, repeat after me-

A shuriken whisked past his cheek, embedding itself in the wall with a solid thunk.

_"Shut up."_Hanabi hissed, having suddenly procured six shuriken from her pouch, leaving three in each hand. "Hokage or not, if you continue to insult my intelligence, if continue to make a fool of me, I'll leave you so full of holes, that we'll need a new hokage by tomorrow morning!"

"Whoa!" Naruto threw up his hands in a panic. "Come on. There's no need to do that, Kawaiiko," Naruto gave an attempt at reasoning with the heiress, but the only response he got was a slight tensing in Hanabi's fist, her eyes widening furiously.

"W-w-what," the Hyuuga spluttered in indignation, "What did you call me?!"

Naruto placed a hand on his chin innocently, as if he were really thinking about it. "Well, Kawaii as in cute and ko as in little-"

A hail of shuriken suddenly embedded themselves in his arm, and another found his jugular. Naruto didn't so much as flinch. Hanabi however, gasped, realizing that she had actually _thrown_the stars, and now, if she were caught, she would be executed for killing him. She was about to have another breakdown, this one more potent than the last one. Damn! Damn it! Damn him! Damn it all! DAAAAAAAAMNIIIIIIIIT!

Still, Naruto remained calm.

"Now," He frowned, suddenly pulling out one of the throwing star in his adam's apple, "That wasn't very nice. But I suppose you _did_ need a demonstration, after all." Sighing, he pointed at the wounds, the flesh of his arm now rippling, much like water. "Watch closely, and don't blink."

"Eh?"

Like magic, Naruto's skin was stitching itself shut. As it healed, as it repaired the damage, each shuriken was ejected from the flesh, leaving it to clatter on the floor. What would have been a life threatening wound, became little more than a paper-cut, and now, not even that, as the gash finished healing entirely. All this occured in five seconds.

"Ta-da." Naruto bowed, as if he were a magician, and Hanabi was his audience. "No harm, no foul."

"H-How?" Hanabi slumped to her knees in disbelief. There they lay, the six shuriken she had thrown with lethal intent. The scent of blood was still fresh upon them, they'd clearly hit Naruto. And yet, he had healed from a mortal wound. "How did you...

"Well," Naruto uncrossed his legs upon the desk, "That's kind of a long story. See, there was this priest, and this temple, and this girl. Then they had this scroll, and there was this guy, and....

"Th-This This....Hanabi, barely able take it all in, felt as if her brain were about to burst from this fountain of occult information. "This is friggin' impossible! You're using some wierd jutsu or something right now, aren't you?! You gotta be!"

"Check my chakra coils." Naruto challenged, standing up, spreading his arms wide. "See for yourself. But no shuriken this time, all right?"

Hanabi opened her eyes, but stayed in her kneeling position, facing him. Her eyes stared at nothing for a moment. Eyes that were larger than the normal human and completely gray in the gloom. A tree shifted in the wind, causing the moonlight to shine on the girl's face. The true snow white color of the eyes glowed in the light for a moment. The next second the girl's face was in the gloom again, but something was different. Veins could be seen popping from the girl's face, and her white pupils had become more dilated.

Hanabi still stared into nothing, but she still saw everything with her Byakugan. Her impaired vision never affected her bloodline, in fact, her vision couldn't be more clear when she was using the legendary all seeing eye.

Everything was black and white. She could choose to see through anything, or just one specific object. She scoured the room, she gazed everywhere, searching for any sort of device that might be causing this absurd illusion. She found none. Then, her gaze found Naruto, and Hanabi realized with startling swiftness that she'd forgotten to focus.

"!!"

"My my," Even in this black and white world, Hanabi could see Naruto's devilish grin. "You certainly are a cheeky one, aren't you?"And seeing his _teeth_, well, lets just say that it certainly didn't help the situation any. "Are you going to stare at _it_ all night? You're making me blush."

Muttering foul obscenities that no girl should every pronounce, the Hyuuga heiress averted her gaze, raising her all seeing eyes towards the region of Naruto's solar plexus. She saw white chakra coils, but nothing other than the average flow of chakra seemed to pass through them.

He definitely wasn't using a jutsu. A cold sweat broke out across her brow. There was something wrong with those chakra coils. There were a good deal more than were necessary, each crisscrossing over one another, creating an intricate..._web_, of sorts. It was disconcerting, intriguing, and...horrifying.

_They were was alive,_she realized. They writhed and twisted according to Naruto's movements, occasionally moving even when he was still. And that wasn't even the half of it. There was a strange discoloration of chakra in his right arm, the one she'd injured. It was red, and it was emanating from a strange inscription like seal on his stomach. It felt like it was...watching her.

**_"So you can see me, woman?" _**The deep voice broke her concentration in an instant, and she found herself trembling.** _"My, what interesting eyes you have." _**A dark chuckle followed the sentence.**_ "It's a shame that I'll have to pluck them out now-_**

Darkness covered everything.

Gasping, Hanabi deactivated her bloodline. She began to shiver and hyper ventilate all at once, as if a strange illnes had come over her. Naruto, had moved from behind his desk to block her vision with his hand. For once, Hanabi didn't slap his hand away. She was grateful for the blackness.

"I told you just to look at my chakra coils." He mumbled into her ear. "But you just _had_ to look, didn't you?"

Hanabi couldn't hear the voice anymore, but its ominous prescence had left a terrible chill on the face her soul. She never wanted to use her Byakugan again, not if it meant seeing that thing, hearing its _voice_...

"...so you're not using a jutsu." She mumbled at last.

"Thank you, miss obvious." Naruto made no attempt to hide his irritation towards her persistent disbelief, though there was a glimmer of amusement lingering in his eyes. "Any more questions?"

She allowed Naruto to help her to her feet, but that was all.

"Stop it." Hanabi snapped, slapping Naruto's hands away when he tried to guide her towards a chair."I said HANDS OFF! The blonde raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back several paces. Hanabi glared daggers into him. "Tell me what that was. Right. Fucking. Now."

"Kyuubi." Naruto answered, his smiling face taking on a more sober frown and tone. "The creature you saw was, is, the Kyuubi no Yoko, a. k. a. the nine tailed fox that attacked Konoha exactly twenty three years ago. It's sealed inside me."

Hanabi's blood froze in her veins. _The_nine tailed fox? The monster that had nearly destroyed "Bakana! Impossible! How could it have been sealed inside you?

Naruto shrugged.

"My reincarnation cycle began as it was being sealed. You're only what, sixteen? You probably weren't even around back then. Of course, everyone thinks _that_boy died, that he was mauled to death by a wild animal." Something in his tone told Hanabi that he was hiding something.

"Was he?"

"No." He snapped, suddenly cold and bitter. "That boy, was brutally _betrayed_by those that he held dear, and left for dead. They didn't care that he was the Yodaime's son, the moment the opportunity presented itself, they killed him, just as he was returning from saving his best friend."

Hanabi felt her eyes widen.

"Oi...th-that boy, was he-

_"Naruto Namikaze."_The blond stated. "I'm Naruto _Uzumaki_. Son of Kushina Uzumaki. In short, I replaced the boy's soul with my own. I had to spend at least a decade reinventing myself, changing my appearance, my name, creating an alias that no one would be able to perceive."

"As such, the Naruto _they_ knew doesn't exist. I have his memories and feelings, but I'm merely using his name out of respect. I knew his mother once during my last life. She was such an energetic woman, with as sharp a tongue as yours, if not more so."

_Wait._

Hanabi gasped and covered her mouth. She felt as if Rock Lee had just sucker punched her. She'd _known _Naruto. Well, not really known, but she'd seen him sitting on the swing outside the academy, always alone, never playing with the other children. Father had yelled at her for talking to him once, and she hadn't done so since.

_That _Naruto?

He sighed.

"Wait, if Naruto's not your name, then...what is?"

"My name?" The blond scrunched up his face in thought. "Huh. I've long since forgotten that. The boy's name was Naruto, so I took it up as my own. Just call me Naruto from now on, alright? But enough about that." The smile was back in place again. "I'm probably boring you, aren't I?"

_No, you're not. _Hanbi wanted to say, but that would mean admitting that she was wrong about her initial assumption of him. Admitting that she, a Hyuuga was wrong, wasn't high on her list of priorities. Instead, she opted for another question.

"So what...you can't die?"

At this, Naruto's expression turned sour.

"On the contrary, I _can_ be killed. Quite easily, if you know where." He held out his hands again this time, showing her all ten fingers. "In fact, I've already died ten times, one for each century. Problem is, my soul keeps reincarnating itself as someone else each damn time." He scratched at his head, as if trying to drive something out. "But out of all my past lives, this one, this boy, has so _many_ damn memories...

"So...you remember your past life?"

_"Lives."_Naruto corrected with a roll of the eyes. "And yes, I remember absolutely everything, right down to the year and date. So trust me when I say, having a photographically permanent memory isn't all its cracked up to be. At times, it feels like my head will burst. At other times I..."

As Naruto continued to prattle on, Hanabi remained stuck somewhere between disbelief and shock. How on earth could someone be, become an immortal? It defied all logic, it didn't make any sense. And yet here Naruto was, claiming just that, that he was one. Someone who couldn't die, someone who'd just keep coming back, even if you killed him. Aside from that ridiculous healing factor though, Naruto hadn't given her any tangible proof. And yet, despite her skepticism, Hanabi felt the inexplicable urge to trust him....

"What's more," He continued, suddenly breaking the heiress out of her reverie, "I think you might be one too. An Immortal, that is."

_Never mind._

Hanabi turned paler than Shino would at the sight of bugspray.

_"Oh, hell no_! There's no way in _hell_ that I'm anything like you! I'm not some soul sucking, body stealing creep!"

"There it is again." Naruto countered. "You're showing signs of it already. Some part of you recognized my voice, some small part of you _knew_ me when we first met, and that side of you is fighting to get out. As a result, the rest of _you, _as a person has been thrown into disarray."

"And I do not 'suck souls' I'm ordinarily born as a new person, but this time, I opted to take up the boy's body as my vessel, rather than be reborn as," Here, he stuck out his tongue in distaste, spitting the words as if they were venom. "Another filthy Uchiha."

"Ugh...Hanabi tugged at her hair in frustration. She didn't understand any of this. She was Hanabi Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi, heiress to the Hyuuga clan. How could she be someone else? Was her identity, the name she'd built her life around, all just a lie?

"Relax." Naruto patted her on the head, eliciting another sputtering blush from the young Hyuuga. "You don't just become immortal overnight. You probably haven't awakened yet, is all. You're a first timer for this sort of thing, but you'll understand it all soon, I promise."

"Then tell me how to _avoid it."_ Hanabi crossed her arms defiantly, refusing to back down. "I don't know about you, but I, for one, am perfectly content with having a finite lifespan and dying of old age, thank you very much."

"Ah," Naruto crossed both arms behind his head and sighed happily. "But that's such a _boring_ way to live life, don't you think? Wouldn't you rather live your life on the edge? Doing whatever you please? Constantly testing your limits, pushing yourself as far as you can go, and then some?"

Hanabi blinked at that. She'd heard those words somewhere before, but she couldn't quite recall them. She _liked_ the way they sounded, as if he were daring her to actually live her life, instead of resign herself to be cooped up in the Hyuuga compound for the rest of her days. Once she was married, that _was_ all she would ever do, give birth, clean, cook, take care of the children, not a single ounce of freedom would be afforded to her, ever again. She'd wither away inside the prison of her own home. As if reading her mind, Naruto gave Hanabi another pat on the head, before heading toward the door that would lead downstairs, to where the guests were waiting.

"Just sleep on it for now. But remember, it's _your_ choice."

"O-Oi!" Hanabi found herself running after him. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!"

"To celebrate of course." Naruto grinned, tilting the Hokage hat to hide his eyes. "After all, I'm the guest of honor." Anything else he might have said, was suddenly cut off by a sharp rapping on the door. Hanabi stiffened in surprise, thinking that someone had been eavesdropping.

"Lord Hokage, may I have a word?"

Hanabi stiffened visibly. She knew that voice right away. The regal tone, the deep distinction and inflection, there was absolutely no mistaking who the guest was. Curiosity and irritation filled her mind.

_What's father doing here?_

As he turned, Naruto flicked an envelope towards her.

"Hold on to that for me." He whispered, his hand turning on the knob, waiting until she had pocketed it. "Keept it safe." With that, he gave the door a good hard turn. Scarcely had he opened it, then the head of the Hyuuga house let himself in, making no effort to conceal his urgency.

"Hanabi?" He seemed surprised to see his youngest daughter in the room. "I did not know that you were here." Hanabi frowned, crossing her arms and staring defiantly back at her parent.

"Hokage-sama and I were just talking, father."

"I see."

Naruto nodded smoothly in agreement.

"So, Hiashi-san, what can I do for you?"

"I would like to speak with you on a certain matter pertaining to my _daughter_." Hiashi glared at his offspring, making it all too clear that he wanted his daughter to leave the room before he continued speaking. She didn't budge, something that only irked the clan head further.

There was a slight tensing of pale eyes. Eventually, he surrendered, realizing that she would not be moved.

"Would you prefer we discuss it here?"

"Of course, of course!" Naruto certainly was good at keeping up the energetic goofy facade, even though he was clearly disturbed by this sudden turn of events. What is it you would like to ask of me?"

Hiashi bowed graciously

"I know you have matters of your own to attend to, so I'll be brief." Hiashi remained silent a moment longer before continuing. "On behalf of my clan, I would like to offer you the hand of my youngest daughter, Hanabi Hyuuga, in marriage. She has rejected all other suitors in our clan and-

"Father!" Hanabi shrieked aloud, interrupting Hiashi before he could speak any further. "Y-You can't do this! I have the right to decide whom I should and should not marry!"

"You are _already _of marrying age." Hiashi answered stonily, not even so much as bothering to glance at his child. "If you are to be the head of the Hyuuga clan in my stead, then you must have a husband before your eighteenth birthday."

"Father!"

"The matter is not up for discussion."

"Well," Naruto remarked pleasantly, preventing a potential fight from breaking out, "Considering that I've only _just_ been instated, that's awfully gracious of you, Hiashi-san. But I'm afraid I'll need a bit more time to decide on something this important. Give me a year to mull it over."

"B-But-

"After all," Naruto replied, his gaze now falling on the dumbstruck Hanabi. "If she is to be _my _bride, then I have a great deal to teach her. I think twelve months should be satisfactory, wouldn't you agree, Hiashi-san." It wasn't a question, it was a delcaration, and everyone knew it.

At this, Hiashi fell silent.

The Hokage's word was law.

There was nothing more he could do to sway Naruto's opinion. However, there were more subtle avenues he could pursue, and he would not hesitate to use them. The prospect of having a Hokage marry into the Hyuuga clan would put them above the Uchiha clan for an age.

"I...understand. I shall eagerly await your decision in one year, Hokage-sama." With a curt bow, and not so much as a glance in Hanabi's direction, the clan head swiftly strode out the open door, down the stairs, and into the night.

"Phew," Naruto wiped sweat off his brow. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"

"H-Huh?" Hanabi stuttered, still trying to process what'd happened. "Wha? Wait, why didn't you say yes?" He clearly delighted in tormenting her, and THAT would have been the ultimate punishment. "I thouhgt....

"Try _not_ to think about it too much." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "But it's not your personality you need to worry about. You've got a bit more filling out to do, you know? Maybe once you're not so flat, then I'll accept Hiashi's proposal." He grinned at this last remark. "Sound good?"

Hanabi turned a deep cherry red.

_"ECCHI!_

The sound of a sandal meeting someone's cheek could be heard throughout Konoha.

**Reviews make me happy, reviews make me update even faster. So won't you please give me them? **

**~Nz**


	3. Womanizer? Manipulator?

_I can't protect you without a sword._

_I can't hold you with a sword._

_-???_

--

"Teme." Hanabi muttered as she wrapped the thick sheets of her bed ever tighter about herself. "How _dare_ he call me flat! I'm a late bloomer, that's all! A late bloomer!" She remained silent for a moment longer, before burying her head further into her cocoon of cotton. "How dare he...

She didn't like Naruto, but she couldn't say she hated him, either. Not after what he'd just told her, not after he'd actually displayed a hint of humanity under that perverted nature of his. That little speech he had given her was something else to mull over as well.

_'But...isn't that such a boring way to live?'_

Live. The term was alien to her. If being alive counted as living, then perhaps Hanabi had been doing that all along. But no, Naruto hadn't meant live, in the literal sense of the word. He'd meant _live_, to More or less, THAT had lit a fire under Hanabiy Hyuuga. She did NOT want to die of old age. If she could choose, she'd rather die doing what she loved. Fighting to her last breath, until her body gave out. Nothing else. Nothing.

Finally, sleep took her.

But this would not be another dreamless night.

This...

_Was different._

--

She had the dream again. She knew it was a dream, because she'd had it every single night since her fifteenth birthday. Three hundred and sicty five nights of the same scene, over and over, and over again. You'd know a dream like that if you always saw it whenever you closed your eyes. She knew it very, very well.

So this was how Hanabi knew she was dreaming:

She was running. The dew soaked grass was soft and moist between her toes. She'd had this dream before, but this time, the calm she felt was replaced with a strong surge of excitement. She had to be somewhere. There was someone she had to meet. She couldn't remember either, but a wild sense of urgency was driving her forward, and she was helpless to resist it.

Stone walls lined either side of her. She could see only a hazy darkness above, but her sense of time told her that it would soon be morning. She continued her headlong sprint, her eyes never once leaving the thin pinprick of light that stretched itself out before her.

The valley spread itself wide suddenly, the light blinding her, forcing the young Hyuuga to skid to a stop. She usually woke up at this point, but this time, the harsh luminance faded, replaced by a softer, more ephermal glow.

What lay before her now, was a forest, not unlike that of the Forest of Death. The only difference being that the sounds of animals did not resonate from within the trees, and she only felt a pleasant sense of warmth from the surrounding foliage. Unbidden, she gave a small sigh.

This was a peaceful place. She knew it.

"Welcome." A warm, pleasant voiced carried across the clearing. "My dear." There were two shadows in the clearing now. One was hers, and the other, a shadow that seemed to stretched and twist as if it were alive.

Naruto? She blinked a few times, unable to make out else much in the dark.

He turned towards her, the startling white of his grin a flash in the darkness. His clothes were different. He wore an all black coat, the hood coming up to hide slick blackof blond hair, which would have matched the cold cape now strewn across his shoulders. Hazel eyes seemed to gleam in the murky gloom, from a pale face.

This...wasn't Naruto.

"W-Who are you?!"

The man smiled.

"So you've arrived, my dear *******."

Hanabi blinked.

"What...what was that?"

"Kukuku," The man tittered to himself softly, his unusual eyes taking all of her in at a glance. "So he hasn't told you it yet, hmm? That certainly is in the nature of my disciple. I wonder if he knows that I still walk this earth after the last millenia..."

Millenia. Hanabi stiffened at that, her knees knocking together in fright.

"N-No way! Y-You're another one?! An...immortal?!"

"Quite right, my dear." The man smiled them, exposing pearly white teeth. "Are there any more questions you would like to ask me?"

At that, a bit of Hanabi's pride returned.

"Yeah, who the hell are you, and who do you think you are, messing up my dreams like this?! Whaddya want with me?"

Before he could reply, there was a dull crackle in the dim sky, remiscent of thunder. The man sighed, and made an exageratted motion of tossing a strand of hair behind his back, just as another peal of crashing explosions filled the air.

"Hmph." It would seem that I have been found out." He sighed, softly, then his gaze held Hanabi's again. "My name... is Orochimaru. Remember that name, my dear. You'll be hearing it again, very soon. As for what I want? Why...I want those lovely eyes of yours, of course."

"!!"

With a wreathing hiss, he was gone.

"Hanabi." Naruto's voice boomed and crackled like the heavens.

Startled, she whirled to find that _he _had appeared behind her. He was clad in a silver garment, with a hood hiding his face. Blue eyes sparked angrily down at her, "*******, you don't have time to waste." Urgency filled his voice now. "_They're_ waiting for you. They've been waiting for a very long time." A ghost of a smile now. "But. if you want to get to _them_, then you'll have to get past _me."_

Hanabi hadn't heard the last part _that _time either. She'd seen his lips move, but her ears refused to pick up the sound, and her flawless ability to lip read had suddenly deserted her when needed most. She found herself wanting to ask him something, but Naruto held up a hand for silence.

"Calm yourself. This is merely a dream after all, isn't it?"

"Oi! How did you-

"Come." He beckoned, turning back towards the forest. "We must be off." Without another word, he was off, scaling the nearby trunk of a mighty oak as easily as a squirrel would. He paused at the topmost branch, seemed almost to teeter amongst the branches, laughed, and was off again.

"Come! Catch me if you can!"

By the time Hanabi had reached his original position, Naruto was already twenty yards ahead. She set off in pursuit, her curiosity forgotten in the adrenaline-fuelled excitement of the chase. Then she saw Naruto take an almighty leap across a pitch-black void, to land lightly on the slick surface of a branch slightly below the one she had just jumped from.

"Jump!" He called out to her. "You'll make it!"

He ran a little way farther, and waited. Hanabi felt a glimmer of fear as the chasm of the ravine eight stories below loomed before her, but she knew she would rather die than hesitate in front of Naruto, and so, summoning up her courage, she took a massive leap of faith, seeing, as she soared across, the inky blackness far below her feet as they flailed in the air.

Hanabi closed her eyes and _screamed,_ a wild, soulful yell that seemed to echo across the early morning sky. It wasn't one of fear, though it certainly could be mistaken as such. She opened her eyes again and dared herself to look forward.

For a split second, she wondered if she had judged it right, as the branch seemed to rise up to meet her, but then, somehow, it sank below her, and she was on the branch, sprawling slightly, but still on her feet, and elated, though breathing hard.

"I...I made it." She gasped, more to herself than the imposing blond that stood over her.

Laughter filled the air around her.

It was Naruto.

"You still have much to learn." He taunted, setting off again, a darting shadow amongst the branches under the scattering of tree-tops. Hanabi stared after him for a moment, then hurled herself forward, all sense of exhaustion lost in the wildness of the moment. Other abysses yawned beneath her now, some defining mere centimeters, others broad yards that threatened to plunge her into darkness at any moment.

Another jump awaited her, and she forced any thought of the consequences of failure out of her mind. As such, Hanabi realized too late that she hadn't prepared herself for the jump. This trench stretched for miles upon miles across, ending in a stone cliff, where the _entire_ forest gave way.

She had leapt into nothingess.

And impossibly, Naruto awaited her on the other side of that. It was too late to slow down, her feet had already left the edge. For two seconds, for just the briefest of moments, gravity and momentum were one. Hanabi flew across the abyss, the wind furiously wiping through her hair...

And then she began to fall.

She couldn't make it! There was no possible way she could clear it! She was going to fall! She'd crash! She'd-

With a sharp popping sound, her momentum was arrested. She jerked her gaze skyward, to find that Naruto was gripping her hand and wrist tightly, having stopped her free fall. She hung their, her feet unable to find a grip upon the slick walls, unable to create a chakra flow to support herself.

"Pull me up!" Hanabi cried, expecting him to do so at once. Therefore, cold, icy shock drenched her when the blond shook his head and began to loosen his hold on her wrist and hand. With moments, Hanabi was right back to where she had started, dangling between life and death.

"Pull me up!" She snarled, trying to reach her other arm up to grab his, only to find that it was just out of reach.

"I'm going to let you go now." Naruto warned, amidst her protests. "And you...are going to fall."

"Don't you dare! Don't you fuckin' DARE!"

"If you don't want to fall...then fly." Naruto whispered, unflinching as she continued to slip. "If you don't then...

With a startling gasp, her hand slipped from Naruto's grasp. Hanabi hung there for a moment, defying gravity in the shock of his apparent betrayal. Then, gravity decided to reclaim its hold on her once again. With a wordless scream, Hanabi tumbled into the blackness below, Naruto's word's falling after her, leaving her to wonder what he had meant. She didn't have long to ponder it, as the rocks rushed up to greet her.

"FLY!"

_--_

With a startled cry, Hanabi found herself rudley jerked back to the world of the waking. Her eyes were heavy, and her entire body was filled with a deep seated ache, permeating her every pore, especially her ragged throat. It felt as if she had actually been running, jumping, screaming.

For real.

With a groan, she swung her legs over the bed. She shuffled to the bathrrom, and blearily fumbled for the lights. Water in the face, and a hot shower proved to be a soothing remedy to the pain. It was only then as she emerged from the shower, wrapped in a soft white towel, that Hanabi saw the note, tapped to the mirror.

_Your appointment with the Hokage is at six A. M. sharp. He requests that you bring the proper attire._

_Tardiness will not be accepted._

_~Hiashi._

Hanabi stole a glance at the clock.

_It was already eight._

"Father....

Even though she wasn't entirely awake yet, Hanabi began to swear.

---

He was waiting for her outside the Hyuuga compound.

_"Sleep well?"_

"Bite me."

"Haven't we been over this before?" Even at six in the morning, Naruto could smile and make it look natural. However, he was not without injury, despite his pleasant demeanor. His right cheek bore a gauze patch, something that surprised Hanabi. It was the spot where she'd clobbered him last night.

"You hit quite hard," Naruto replied to the unseen question. He fingered the gauzed and winced. "For one your age."

"Served you right, Ecchi."

"Ecchi?" Naruto pouted. "You wound me. I was just being honest, is all."

Hanabi growled at him. She'd discarded last night's kimono in favor of a white jumper and baggy pants, as she had been asked to wear clothing that would not restrict her movements. Naruto had also discarded his formal attire, but at the same time, kept the Hokage coat wrapped about him, as if to ward off the morning chill, and preventing her from seeing the rest of his attire. Even so, she was absolutely _freezing _right now.

Naruto shivered as well, a puff of steam escaping his lips.

It seemed that even Konoha's great Hokage-sama was not immune to the cold.

"Here."

That same coat, suddenly draped itself over her shivering shoulders. Hanabi turned a deep scarlet, but made no effort to refuse the proffered coat. It was many sizes too big for her, but at the same time, it was more than enough to keep her warm inside, and the biting gales outside.

"Thanks." She muttered, secretly grateful for it _and _that no one was out and about at this hour. It would certainly be compromising if someone were to happen upon them now, what with her wearing his coat as if it were an oversized blanket.

She felt terribly inclined to tell Naruto about the dream. But at the same time, something stopped her. He was talking, but she didn't quite hear him. Training grounds, or something. They walked in silence for another moment, and Hanabi's mind wandered. Why did he want to take her to one of the training grounds? Was he trying to sneak another peak?

But they were not alone. Naruto stiffened suddenly, his eyes widening inexplicably as the sound of footsteps pricked his ears.

"Who...is that?"

The woman of choice as the only other out and about, aside from them. She had just exited her house, her green eyes sharp and alert. That, and the flak jacket she wore, indicated that she was a jonin, one who wa slikely about to embark on a mission.

"Interesting." Naruto glanced down at his now trembling arm. "It seems that this body wants to tear that woman over there....into little pieces."

Hanabi followed his gaze and balked. The _woman_, to whom Naruto was referring, was...was...

"Y-You can't be serious!"

"I am." Naruto answered coldly. "She's the one who rammed the kunai through Naruto's, _the original Naruto's,_ throat. She was the one who started the events that ultimately led to his demise. It's only natural that this body desire her death."

"But...just killing someone out of the blue?" Hanabi didn't like the look in Naruto's eyes. It was stone cold, lacking any sort of the warmth it had possessed five minutes ago. "You can't do that! She used to be my sensei! She's a good person!"

"Good deeds do not make one good." Naruto retorted. "The sin of his death is still on her soul."

"What, you can see souls, too?"

"Among other things, yes." Naruto replied steadily.

He'd do it. She realized. If she let Naruto be, he really _would _kill Sakura-sensei.

"B-But you _can't..._

_"I _don't want to kill her. At least not of my own volition." Naruto assured, though his eyes reflected the strain. "I'm inhabiting this body by choice, not necessity. It isn't my own to control as I please. And as a result, I'm having...quite a difficult time reigning myself in at the moment."

"Well, control yourself better!" Hanabi hissed. "She's coming this way! Ohayo, sensei!"

"Ohayo, Hanabi-chan!" She smiled at her former student. "You look well! And-oh! What's Hokage-sama doing out at this hour?"

"Hanabi-san and I were just discussing a matter in regards to her clan." Naruto replied with an air of mysticism that suggested he knew more than he was letting on. "I can see why you took her as your student, Sakura. She's quite the lively one, isn't she?"

Sakura smile warmly.

"That may be true, but I'm very proud of her, Hokage-sama."

"I'm sure you are." There wasn't a hint of venom to be found in his voice, but oh, his eyes, you could see it in his eyes.

_Then _Sakura blinked.

"Pardon me, Hokage-sama, I know this is going to sound horribly rude, but...have we met before? It's just, well, you...you look alot like someone I used to know. Come to think of it, you have the same name as him, and you look just like him. _And_ you knew my name even though I've never given it to you."

Blue eyes glinted devilishly. He'd thought up a lie, just in case such a situation ever arose. And this little lie would allow him otherwise indulge in a certain pleasure he'd been restricting himself from as of late....

_Torment._

"Might you be refering to my deceased nephew, Naruto Namikaze?"

"E-Excuse me?" Sakura started a bit at this. All the color drained out of her once flushed skin. It was as if she had been caught in the very act of stabbing the poor boy while he was asleep, all those years ago. "Y-Y-You knew Naruto?"

"Well of course I knew him." Naruto allowed a touch of pride to enter his voice. "_He_ was originally named after _me."_

"H-He was?"

"I'm something of a long lost uncle, I suppose." Naruto answered with a light hearted shrug, though his darkening tone seemed to indicate that he was about to reveal something ominous. "I'm his mother's brother. And...I'm very displeased with your actions in his regard, Miss Haruno."

"C-Come again?"

"You killed him, didn't you?" His intimidating stare bored into her like a drill. "I believe it was with a knife, in the hospital bed, around the time of midmorning, for reasons that you _still_have yet to explain, Sakura Haruno. Care to do so?"

Sakura tried to say something, but only gasped. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, not now. He'd read her like a book, down to the very last page. How he could dissect her so calmly was both eerie and horrifying, at the same time. And it had all happened so fast, she was reeling.

"I..erm...um...

"Thankfully," Naruto's words caused Sakura to glance up. "I am a merciful man. I will not have you flogged in front of the public, nor will I strip you of your shinobi rank. However, as punishment for killing my darling nephew, I will assign to _you,_ the most dangerous missions we have to offer."

"W-Wha?!"

"For the next year." Naruto smiled pleasantly, demeanor strongly matching that of a certain copycat. "By the way, congratulations on your recent promotion to ANBU. I truly, _truly_ hope you've enjoyed all that this world has to offer. Chances are, you won't be seeing much of it anymore."

Hanabi watched the scene unfolding before her eyes with a well practiced air of distaste and disdain. She was very, _very _good at appearing to be bored, when in reality she was hanging on every word. As she was now. How Naruto had suddenly changed was beyond her. His smile didn't have the slightest trace of goodwill, and his eyes were furious cerulean slits.

Still, he was going out of his way not to touch Sakura-sensei. Even when Sakura-sensei hung her head, muttered an affirmative and slumped off towards her new assignment for the rest of the year.

As soon as Sakura was out of sight, Naruto spat upon the ground and uttered a foul curse. "Forgiveness is _earned_, not given, woman. Be grateful I resisted the temptation to kill you on the spot."

"That...was cold." Hanabi answered at last. Sakura-sensei's reaction had been spot on, just as he said it would be. The thought of her warm, loving teacher having once hardheartedly killed someone....

It was enough to make her shudder.

"She deserved far worse."

"Still....

"Well then," Naruto smiled again, as if all was right with the world once more. "What's done is done. Let's be off, shall we?"

Hanabi scowled. She didn't want to be near this guy right now. She stalked ahead, anxious to put some distance between them. As such, Hanabi wasn't looking where she was walking. Upon rounding the corner, her head still down, she didn't see them coming until the very last second, and by then, it was far too late.

"Watch where the hell you're going, shorty!"

"Uwah!" She cried, falling back on her butt.

"Dobe?!"

This woman was one Hanabi made all efforts to _avoid_. Not only did she have a reputation for being extremely bloodthirsty, and damn near psychotically violent, she also had a habit of smashing whoever and whatever came her way. The fact that her anbu nickname was 'Terror of Death' certainly didn't improve her image much.

But now, it was a different look this woman wore.

The woman, still continued to stare at Naruto, her ice blue eyes wider than saucers. There was the faintest hint of a tear threatening to fall, her hands still balling defiantly into fists, as if she couldn't decide whether to rejoice or scream.

"Can I help you?" Naruto's tone was still frosty, but there was just a tinge of surprise now. He clearly hadn't been expecting to run into this person, the one whom the original Naruto remembered and felt for so strongly, right up until his untimely demise. The one the old Naruto STILL cared for.

Of course, she was still herself, but over the years, her hair had grown; it reached down to her knees and was very straight. Now she hadquite a sizeable breast size, her legs were long and smooth; she had a thin waist but strong hips. Her bum looked so much bigger now, before she had small butt and _very_ flat chested...

Not so now.

She _had _put her hair up in high ponytail again though, her bangs were framing a morefeminine face. Her eyes reflected pools of ice, ice that was now melting faster than ice cubes under the hot summer sun. She was walking towards him now, at an easy, yet hurried pace.

_Strike! _A small part of him grinned pervertedly. _What...a....woman!_

"You...you're Naruto, aren't you?" She asked.

Naruto remained silent for a moment longer, waiting until she was only three feet away. He'd best watch his step here. Think with his head, not his...something else. She stopped for a moment, staring him down, her very soul demanding an answer from the egnimatic kage.

"Please," The kunoichi begged, louder this time. "Answer me!"

"Yes, woman." Naruto relented at last, his expression flinty as her eyes promptly welled up with tears. "That is the name that I go by at the momen-mmph." He suddenly found his words cut off by something wet and moist. Hanabi lost all composure and openly gaped at the sight that lay before her virgin eyes. The blond kunoichi had crossed the distance between them in an instant.

Naruto wore a look of surprise, but couldn't speak, due to the...situation.

_"O-Oi...."_ Hanabi, thought to herself. _"Why is...Ino-sensei...._

Ino Yamanaka had just _kissed _Naruto Uzumaki.

"NANI?!"

**Hoped ya'll loved the D. Gray Man reference there at the end. Reviews make me happy, reviews make me update even faster. So won't you please give me them? **

**~Nz**


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